Actor-turned-politician R. Sarath Kumar, who has acted in over 130 films and was one of the top heroes in Tamil cinema during the 90s, has faced several challenges in his political career. According to the latest reports that broke this morning, I-T raids were conducted on Tamil Nadu minister Vijayabhaskar and All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi leader R. Sarath Kumar. Tax officials alleged that the two have played key role in distributing money in the constituency where polls have emerged a prestige battle for sorts between the two AIADM factions being led by Sasikala and O Panneerselvam.
According to local TV reports, Vijayabhaskar is with the Sasikala faction and actor R Sarath Kumar’s political party has recently extended support to Sasikala’s nephew and the AIADMK party’s candidate TTV Dinakaran.
Check out 6 interesting facts about Sarath Kumar’s early years before he began his political career:
1. Sarath Kumar’s early years of primary education were in Delhi. His father – late M Ramanathan – was a news reader in All India Radio. Few years later, Sarath Kumar moved to Chennai, got admission in Rajah Muthaiah High School and shifted to Kendriya Vidyalaya located in the IIT campus and thereafter he studied in St Patricks Anglo Indian High School, after which he studied in Loyola College where he completed Pre-University certificate.
2. Sarath Kumar was selected to participate in the Republic Day parade at New Delhi in 1970, as an Air Wing Cadet from the NCC.
3. His father wanted him to become a police officer and therefore, Sarath Kumar began to attend IAS-IPS coaching classes but his mind was not in it for long. When his brother-in-law offered him a job, he immediately opted for it.
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4. In Bangalore, Sarath Kumar worked as a newspaper boy which gave him valuable insights about life on the streets. He learned to take on additional responsibilities and began to start reporting and later he began to sell ads space for the very same newspaper for which he was once a cycle boy!
5. A fitness enthusiast, it came as no surprise that Sarath Kumar won the Mr. Madras title and thereafter made it big as a movie star in Tamil Nadu. In 1987, his acting debut was in the Telugu film ‘Samajmlo Sthree’ and he played negative roles initially but later went on to become one of the top five heroes of the 90s in Tamil cinema.
6. Among several notable blockbusters in south India, Sarath Kumar is well known in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil cinema. In 2012, he played the role of a ‘transgender’ and won critical acclaim for his strong portrayal of a role that most top heroes would shy away from.
